Even industrial shipping containers wear out eventually. But rather than scrap them, Starbucks' in-house architects upcycled the containers into a unique drive-through cafe.

The new cargotecture structure is located in Tukwila, Washington. Stacked as they are, the four containers provide about 450 square feet of interior space. It's a cozy fit, sure, but one large enough to accommodate three baristas in roughly the same area that they would occupy in a conventional coffee shop.

The LEED-certified storefront is part of Starbucks' efforts to increase the sustainability of its stores while reducing environmental and operating costs. If it proves successful, expect to see lots of other companies rolling out similarly-built stores across the country as well. [Protein]